# Hegseth Orders a Six-Month Review of US Forces in Europe and Faults NATO Over the Iran War

The defense secretary linked the future of American troops on the continent to how quickly Europeans take responsibility for their own security.

- Published: 2026-06-18T10:14:24.629Z
- Canonical: https://polylog.news/2026-06-18/hegseth-orders-a-six-month-review-of-us-forces-in-europe-and
- Publisher: Polylog (Global desk)
- Section: geopolitics
- Sources: [South China Morning Post](https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3357573/hegseth-blasts-nato-not-giving-us-access-european-bases-during-iran-war), [BFM.ru](https://www.bfm.ru/news/609730), [RIA Novosti](https://ria.ru/20260618/germanija-2099644203.html)

United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a six-month Pentagon review of American forces in Europe and [criticized](https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3357573/hegseth-blasts-nato-not-giving-us-access-european-bases-during-iran-war) the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for not granting the United States access to European bases during the war with Iran. He said the outcome of the review would depend on how quickly European governments take responsibility for their own defense.

Russian outlets [reported](https://www.bfm.ru/news/609730) the announcement prominently as confirmation that Washington intends to reconsider how its forces are positioned on the continent. In Berlin, Germany's foreign minister [urged](https://ria.ru/20260618/germanija-2099644203.html) fellow Europeans not to leave Ukraine dependent on the United States, a direct response to the prospect of an American drawdown.

The review formalizes a trend that has been developing for months, an acceleration of the United States military withdrawal from Europe even as the war in Ukraine increasingly affects areas near NATO territory. It forces European states to confront a security gap they have long deferred.

## What this means

A managed United States withdrawal from Europe would shift a large and lasting cost onto European budgets, with implications for defense spending, government borrowing and the industrial base. It is a structural change in the transatlantic relationship rather than a passing dispute, and European defense companies and government bonds will be affected.

## What to watch

- The conclusions and timeline of the six-month review, which will define the scale of any drawdown.
- European defense budget commitments, the clearest sign of whether governments are filling the gap.
- How the burden of supporting Ukraine shifts from Washington to European capitals.